Method and machine for knitting patterned fabrics



March 13, 1962 F. c. WIESINGER ETAL 3,024,631

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR KNITTING PATTERNED FABRICS Filed Sept. 30, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 WI I TRANSFA'R Tuck Space/ 51 DRIVE 04 no FEED lN VE N TOE FEEDER/8K0. l/V/ESINGEE. Vav mo/ms 0. Lysrse.

ATTORNEY CARD March 13, 1962 F. c. WIESINGER ETAL 3,024,631

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR KNITTING PATTERNED FABRICS Filed Sept. 30, 1959 6 Sheets$heet 2 March 13, 1962 F. c. WIESINGER ETAL 3,024,631

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR KNITTING PATTERNED FABRICS 6 Sheets-Shet 3 Filed Sept. 30. 1959 TRANSFER SELECT/0N Fae TUCK IN VE/V 70R R Y 5 M M C w A if mm F. c. WIESING ER ETAL 3,024,631

March 13, 1962 METHOD AND MACHINE FOR KNITTING PATTERNED FABRICS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Sept. 30. 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 E Kw Wm m m MM m maw u i I C may n M 0 FW@ F. c. WlESlNGER ETAL METHOD AND MACHINE FOR KNITTING PATTERNED FABRICS March 13, 1962 Filed Sept. 30, 1959 United States Patent Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 30, 1959, Ser. No. 843,403 9 Claims. (Cl. 66-14) This invention relates to multifeed, independent needle knitting machines of the double cylinder type adapted to knit pattern work which, among other forms of stitch variation, include that incidental to transferring needles to and from one cylinder to another, and particularly to cam means by which a needle selectively transferred to knit at the upper cylinder will always have its slider at the lower cylinder in receiving position independently of any control of that slider by pattern means at that time.

It is a general object of the invention so to devise this type of machine that it may be safely operated regardless of the correctness of the pattern or the contemplated mode of functioning of parts at that time.

It is a further object to devise such a machine which may be operated to select and control needles so they shall perform any of several possible functions including transfer to an upper cylinder, knitting thereat and immediate transfer back to the lower cylinder with full assurance that its slider will be in position to receive it at that lower cylinder.

It is a more particular object to provide cam means which shall always return sliders at the lower cylinder to a position in which they may be effected by their selecting means to be guided in any desired pathway provided by the selection and cam capabilities of the machine X cept those sliders needles of which were transferred to the upper cylinder and which are to be controlled independently of the pattern means for receiving their needles transferred back from the upper cylinder.

Other objects will become apparent from the following detailed disclosure.

This application is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 795,494, filed February 25, 1959, now Patent No. 3,012,423 and the improvements herein described and claimed will be set forth as applied to a machine such as described in that parent application, but, however, they are not necessarily so limited and the general relationship only need be followed. The selection there and in a more comprehensive, preferred form includes a double selection or elevation of pattern jacks, effective either independently or in combination. That however, is not entirely essential to the present improvements which may still be utilized with selecting means of fewer possibilities.

In multifeed knitting machines such, for example, as the Circular Jacquard machines to which United States Patent No. 2,082,127 relates, there is provided between each yarn feeding and knitting station, a selecting means, preferably in the form of a periodically advancing, endless, strip pattern having holes punched in accordance with some desired pattern. The pattern means precedes the knitting station to which it applies having regard to the sequence of selection and knitting and as heretofore employed, a needle (or other instrumentality such as a slider, jack or the like) is acted upon to move it a predetermined distance from a non-selected position. Cams at the knitting station are so devised as to affect those instrumentalities selected in accordance with any one of three ways commonly utilized as a basis of pattern or change in the knitting function. For example, cams at a single station have been designed to cause selected needles to knit, to tuck or to transfer their stitches (this latter includes the movement of a double ended needle to the opposite bed to change the type of stitch to knit or purl as the case may be). While non-selected needles have welted, each feed had otherwise to be considered as a knitting feed, a tucking feed or a transferring feed. On various machines the set up of these feeds has been different, but it can readily be appreciated that the fabric designer has been very definitely circumscribed and has had constantly to bear in mind the limitations as to what he could do and could not do in any given machine.

According to the instant invention, cams at each of the several knitting stations have been so devised that needle or other instrumentality butts may pass through any one of several, preferably four pathways, these corresponding and serving to eifect respectively ones of the four possibilities above enumerated. While such provision is made at the cams themselves, that would avail nothing use ful over what has been done before were it not for novel and extensive changes to the pattern means which govern which of these pathways a particular needle or needles shall enter and follow.

According to a preferred form of the mechanism, a pattern drum or drums are disposed in advance of each knitting station and each drum is provided with means to advance it in two independent, time-spaced steps. The distance between feeds determines whether or not one or more drums shall intervene, but actually, these may be considered as a single roll or drum having levers associated therewith, one for each needle in the sector spanning the space from a given point at one knitting station to a similar point at the next. A Geneva motion or other means is used to step the drum ahead the two moves while the cams move through the sector above mentioned.

These drums are slotted as before, but the pattern is differently formed in that two rows of perforations or other pattern determining indicia are set up and are identified with or function incidental to each station.

Needles or other instrumentalities to be selected preferably have jacks associated with them which have two elevating butts spaced as and for a purpose to be described. They also have a master or cam engaging butt. In preferred instances these are set up to effect some selectivity when no selection from the pattern means is to be used.

The levers selected by the pattern are first pushed inwardly to enter the path of so-called jacquard cams which may depress those levers. Since the first levers act upon a second set of pivoted levers the motion is reversed and the inner ends of the latter act in needle or jack slots and may engage either one or the other of the elevating butts on their respective jacks. vided and there are two sets of these selecting and return cams serially disposed.

The pattern is so set up that a pair of aligned apertures effects a selection for the next knitting station, the first row of these being identified with knitting, the second with tucking and both acting together to effect transfer. For a first selecting motion a lever end catches beneath the upper of the two butts, but however, the knitting selection precedes the tucking. That means that a jack or jacks thus raised atsaid first selection have their master butt enter a pathway which will cause associated needles to pass through the cams for effecting knitting. The second, acting later in the cycle, causes its needle or other butts to be raised to a different pathway, one

identified with tucking. If a selecting lever is affected by a pattern indication in both the first and second moves of the drum, then its lifter lever acts twice prior to needles arriving at the knitting station and lifts its jack first by the upper butt and then by the lower. This results in the Patented Mar. 13, 1962 Return cams are pro-.

corresponding needle being raised until its master butt aligns with a third or transfer pathway.

In certain simple situations the needles are controlled without resort to jacks or the selecting mechanism as will be explained.

This selecting means thus initiates the motion of sliders through jacks by which any needle may be caused to enter cam pathways, one of which results in that needle being transferred to an upper cylinder. Cams thereat cause the needle to knit at that cylinder forming a reversely directed or rib stitch and since no pattern means is available at the upper cylinder, unless one desires to knit that needle repeatedly in the upper cylinder as in case of 1 x 1 rib work for an extended interval, in which case gate cams are availed of for such specialized work, it becomes desirable to return the needle to the lower cylinder immediately after it has knitted in the upper. It may then at the next station be selected to perform any of its possible functions including transfer back to the upper cylinder. However, in such a mode of operation it is imperative that the slider for that needle be in position to receive it. Heretofore, that has been accomplished by the pattern means which has functioned with a high degree of faithfulness, but however, errors may occur in punching or otherwise forming a pattern or the pattern means itself may not function with complete rectitude in which event no slider may be elevated to receive a downwardly transferred needle. The latter then becomes uncontrolled and floats between cylinders.

Sometimes such a needle may pick up later or may cause mechanical trouble. It will almost always disturb the pattern leaving something more than a slight or relatively unnoticeable blemish in the fabric.

According to the instant invention, it is no longer necessary to rely upon the selecting means to position sliders to receive these needles transferred back from the upper cylinder. As will be explained in full detail, jacks which raise needles to tuck or float are guided in pathways such that after serving at a particular feeding station, they are lowered to a level at which they may again be selected for causing their needles to perform any of their possible functions at the next station. However, by a novel cam arrangement, selecting jacks which have caused their particular needles to be transferred to the upper cylinder are not returned to a position to be reselected generally, but are confined to a positive cam path by which they are at the next feeding station, raised to receiving position so that under no circumstances may a needle be transferred from the upper to the lower cylinder without a slider positioned to receive it.

This is a distinct saving in pattern preparation and constitutes a safety feature for these machines which are necessarily complicated, do effect extremely intricate patterning and are difiicult to fix if some unusual occurrence may be causing seconds. This thus makes it possible to eliminate from the pattern provision for a function heretofore necessary.

The invention will be described in detail by reference to a preferred form thereof as applied to a double cylinder knitting machine in which it is most advantageously used and which is illustrated in the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a section taken through a part of a double cylinder knitting machine to which the invention has been applied.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of a pattern used.

FIG. 3 is a developed view of needle and jack cams showing positions and pathways incidental to transfer.

FIG. 3a supplements FIG. 3 further to illustrate the action at transfer.

FIG. 4 is a similar View showing the relationship for knitting.

FIG. 4a similarly relates to FIG. 4 and knitting.

FIG. 5 likewise relates to tucking.

FIG. 5a serves to supplement the tucking as shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing the manner in which sliders and their jacks are governed to receive needles from the top cylinder.

Now, referring to FIG. 1 the invention will be described as it applies to a double cylinder, multifeed, body fabric knitting machine such as that manufactured by Wildman Jacquard Co. of Norristown, Pennsylvania. A lower cylinder 10 is topped by a sinker ring and/ or verge plate 11 and is slotted to act as a needle bed for the conventional double hooked needles 12 which are directly controlled at their lower ends by sliders 13 having butts 14. Since the illustration relates to a rotary cam, fixed needle cylinder machine, the cylinder 10 is fixed to a base member 15, in turn a part of a more complete supporting frame.

An upper cylinder 16 is aligned with cylinder 10 and has the usual cams and other parts employed in such machines and not necessary to be described here.

A cam cylinder made up in sections comprises a disk or plate 16 having a flange 17, section rings 18 and 19 and, of course, several cams two only of which are shown here and which are generally indicated as a slider draw down cam c and a guard or raise cam r effective upon butts 14, the latter cam, however, also being capable of action upon other butts 20 of jacks 21, one of which is positioned beneath each slider. This plate 16 is borne in a fixed bearing member 22 capped by plate 23 and is rotated by gearing of known form (not shown).

The jacks 21 also have upper and lower lifter butts 24 and 25.

While not shown it is to be understood that such a machine has the usual top needle cylinder, upper cam sets for acting upon sliders in that cylinder and which control needles 12 whenever they are transferred to that top cylinder. The details and general operation of such double cylinder machines are so well known that it would serve no useful purpose to illustrate and describe them further here.

Still referring to FIG. 1, selecting means of the jacquard type is provided and supported upon an extending ring or bracket 26 of which there may be as many segments as there are separate pattern units per machine. Each unit covers a sector of needles and jacks and these sectors are evenly divided between knitting stations.

These selecting units, as illustrated in United States Patent No. 2,281,721 include, among other parts, pivoted selecting levers 27 which bear upon bar 28 and when selected, may be pushed radially inwardly against the re sistance of springs (not shown), and lifter levers 29 pivoted at rod 30 and having their ends 31 beneath the inner ends of the selector levers and positioned in the same guiding slots therewith. A guide member 32 extends up to 33 and is constituted as a reed or slotted means by which the ends of the levers are maintained in alignment and are restrained to a vertical path of motion as affected by cams to be described.

Pivot pin 30 is held in a similar slotted guide 34 by a clamp 35 and thus levers 29 may pivot but are held laterally. Their inner ends 36 are guided in the needle and jack slots, the lower cylinder end being fiared as shown for presenting a better bearing from which these ends may not escape even though they swing in a considerable arc.

Levers 27 are similarly guided by means (not shown) evident in the patent noted above, and each of these levers has at its outer end a spring pressed pin 37 or the like which functions as a feeler at the surface of a pattern strip P of the general type used on these machines.

This strip, a fragment of one of which is illustrated in FIG. 2 may be made of backed paper or any suitable plastic and has sprocket holes 38 at each side, these being engaged by teeth at the ends of a driven roll 39. A

weight or tension roll 40 maintains the pattern taut and in mesh with the sprocket teeth on roll 39.

Roll 39 has a plurality of longitudinally disposed slots 41, preferably spaced substantially the same distance as has heretofore been the case, but however, spaced and related to the sprocket teeth in such a way that pin 37 aligns with a slot when roll and strip have been advanced a step by their intermittent drive.

While these devices as utilized heretofore have had a single row of pattern perforations effective in determining the pattern results at a succeeding station, here the pattern is advanced two steps (two slots) one after the other in time spaced sequence so that two rows of perforations are now availed of to determine what shall be effected at a succeeding station. As set up, the leading row of perforations 42 determines the pathway of jacks and needles insofar as knitting goes while the second row in which perforation 43 is found governs tucking. What has just been said applies when such a perforation 42 or 43 is not followed or preceded by another in the same longitudinal line considering only that pair of rows then acting for a following stations selection. In case each row of a pair has a perforation aligned to affect a single selector lever, the result is transferring as will be explained.

Roll 39 is advanced intermittently by the usual Geneva mechanism driven from any part of the machine rotated at a uniform speed related to the progression of the cams past the needles. That means comprises a Geneva wheel 44, a pin 45 and locking disk 46 and is in turn rotated by gears 47 and 48. Gear 47 is fixed to a shaft 49 borne in the end of bracket 26. In practice each unit is driven from that adjacent going back to one master gear which takes motion from connection to a primary rotary element as in United States Patent No. 2,982,127.

As shown in FIG. 1 and in each of FIGS. 3-5, levers 27 are acted upon by selecting cams 50 and/or 51 if these levers are selected by the pattern means. If the selection is one for knitting, then cam 50 pushes down on the end of such levers as are to control that function. The cam is narrowed at its active end and engages in a notch 52 at the lever ends. Cam 51, following and thus acting later, engages and presses down those selector levers which are pushed in at the second advance of the pattern and thus control tucking. The spacing and timing is such that after a group of needles equivalent to the number spanned by a single drum and pattern have been selected and the cam 50 has acted upon them, there will be time for a release of levers and a second selection (second row of perforations) whereupon cam 51 will then function on the levers selected at that second step.

A lever selected and pressed down will raise its cooperating lifter lever 29, the end 36 of which will swing as shown to the dot-and-dash line position, FIG. 1. In so doing it will engage butt 24 of that jack it is designed to control, lifting it as shown in position 1-2, FIG. 3a. That will position butt 2'3 of the jack to enter an active pathway as will be explained.

While gravity would tend to return the parts to a nonactive position, more positive action is assured by lever return cams 53 and 54, one for each selecting step. These act on levers 29 as shown in FIG. 1.

Cams 50 and 53 are adjustably carried by brackets 55 and 56, respectively, the latter being fixed to a rod 57 or other support depending from the rotating cam ring 16. Cams 51 and 54 are similarly supported.

In the event a transfer is to be effected cams 50 and 51 are active in succession on the same lever or levers and at the first selection lifter levers raise their jacks as in l2, FIG. 3a, and then these levers return to their lowermost position clearing the lower butts 2.5 as they do so. As will be shown better later, jacks are then elevated by certain of the cams and the second selection raises lifter levers which then engage the butts 25 to elevate their jacks 5 to the position 7, FIG. 3a. Jacks then control their respective needles to transfer.

Now having described the selection, reference to FIGS. 3, 4 and 5 is made incidental to explaining cams and butt pathways. In FIG. 4 marked Knit the lowermost cams have been explained. The next level comprises cams effective upon the jack butts 20. It is to be understood that if no selection is effected then butts 20 pass beneath these cams and, of course, corresponding needles hold their stitches (welt).

Cam 58 is termed a jacquard knit cam and raises jacks selected for controlling needles to knit to such a pathway that slider butts will raise needles to clear latches, take yarn and then draw a stitch.

Cam 59 is a jacquard tuck cam and performs a similar function on selected jacks, but later in the cycle so that slider butts are not engaged with a clearing cam, but with one which will only raise needles to take yarn in addition to a stitch already held.

Cam 60 is a jacquard transfer cam and acts on butts of jacks which have passed up over cam 58 and have also been affected by the second selection.

Cams 61 and 62 are guard cams and serve to prevent jacks passing through at too great a height at critical points. Cam 63 lowers jacks selected to control knitting so they will pass under cam 60 except where transfer is to be effected. All these cams are always fixed and in against the cylinder.

Two gate cams 64 and 65 are movable and pattern controlled. Normally, or when jacquard patterning is being done, these gate cams are withdrawn. They do, however, function when the pattern is not in action to make simple 2 x 2 rib work.

According to the prior art a single cam was utilized at this point to lower all jacks to their lowermost level (below all cams) preparatory to their being selected again at some following knitting station. That single cam performed its function in the same way no matter what function had preceded. According to the invention herein described, special cams are provided, one for lowering jacks, needles corresponding to which have either knitted or welted, and another which functions in coordination with the first for guiding jacks which have caused their needles to transfer, in a special pathway as will be explained.

Specifically, a cam 66 of greater height than the cam 59 is positioned just after that cam 59 to lower jacks which, if they have effected knitting or tucking of their respective needles, will be encountered at that elevation. This is a fixed cam and its lower surface is substantially on the same level as cams 58 and 59.

At the upper third, more or less, of the cam assembly a plurality of cams are so devised and arranged as to control sliders and their needles as governed by the jacks.

The cam '67 engages all slider butts at the start of the cycle and raises them and their needles to tuck position for the purpose of hanging a fabric on the needles as may be necessary after a drop off or press off.

Cam 68 then lowers the needles which pass under cam 69 which is the top one of gate cams 6-9 and 70, later to be described. Butts pass between these without being affected by them and then pass along cam 71 which is integral with cam 63. These gate cams are withdrawn when using the pattern selection but utilized at some other times. Butts pass under cam 72 as shown. Cam 73 is like-wise movable and is withdrawn when the jacquard means is effective.

Cam 74 acts as a guard cam for needles not raised at the first selection and also as a raise cam for those which are selected to knit or to transfer. It raises needles high enough to clear their latches and also to yarn taking level.

Cam 75 is a transfer cam and gate cam 76 which precedes it is in against the cylinder or in position to contact butts only when it is desired to transfer without resort to the jacquard selection.

Cam 77 lowers needles from clearing or sliders from transfer positions and as they pass under that earn they take any yarn in feeding position and then draw stitches under stitch cam 78. Stitches may be held in that position except as needles are again selected to knit, tuck or transfer although, of course, they may be relieved slightly.

Cam 79 is a tuck gate cam and likewise movable. When using the pattern means, it is out of action since the second selection raises slider butts to the same level.

A cam 80 acts more or less in cooperation with cam 66 and has a dual function. Its top edge prevents sliders from descending below a welting pathway. It also has a forwardly inclined edge which lowers jacks which have risen to a position higher than for knitting or tucking, that is, those of which the needles were transferred to the upper cylinder. It guides their butts downwardly, cam 66 acting to provide a closed pathway and an upturned point 81 of the latter then elevating those butts to a pathway such that they enter the next following cam section above the point of cam 58 for a purpose to be described more fully in a later paragraph.

Now having described the mechanism involved and its general function, a resume and short description of what takes place during each of the possibilities will serve for a complete understanding of what has been accomplished. Referring to FIGS. 4, 3a and 4a, for any needle or needles which are to knit at a station the pattern strip P should have a perforation 42 in the first of a pair of rows of perforations in the pattern which are in position to be engaged by the pins 37 of the levers 27 applying to those needles. The drum is advanced and cam 50 acts to swing the levers, ends 36 of levers 29 engaging butts 24 to lift the jacks so their butts 20 are elevated above cam 58. Cam 61 acts to return them to a slightly lower position whereupon the cam passes them raising them to such a level as they clear the top point of cam 58, that the needle slider butts take a pathway over the point of cam 74. The jacks have done their work and are retracted by cam 63 to pass under cam 60 and then return to original position by cam 66 although they are elevated by tuck cam 59. This latter is an idle motion since the corresponding needles are already at a knitting level. Needles are acted upon by earns 77 and 78 to take their yarn or yarns and to knit. In FIG. 3a, position l-2 shows the jack elevation at selection. In FIG. 4a positions 71() show the relative relationship of the parts for corresponding positions which are marked at FIG. 4.

Now referring to FIGS. and 5a, needles which are to tuck have that part of the pattern effective thereon at a particular knitting station provided with perforation 43 in the second row of the appropriate pair. The corresponding levers are pushed in at the second advance of the drum and cam 51 acts as did cam 50 to raise its jack although it does so as shown in FIG. 5 at a point just in advance of earns 59 and 62. Thus butts enter a pathway above cam 59 which eventually raises them and corresponding sliders and needles to tuck level. The slider butts are elevated in the pathway shown and are slightly lowered by cam 77. Their needles do not clear but do take yarn and draw it into a stitch along with a previously drawn loop or loops as they are controlled by cam 78.

The positions l6, 7-9 and 10, FIG. 5a, show relationship of the elements at corresponding positions in FIG. 5.

Jacks are again lowered to non-selected level by cam 66.

In FIGS. 3 and 3a, pathways of butts and element positions incidental to transfer are shown. The pattern must provide apertures in both rows of a pair and the selection at the first raises jacks as in previously described situations so they enter above cam 58 and thus affect their needles so slider butts pass over cam 74. Now, they would if not further selected, go on to knit, but the second selection affects the raising levers at cam 51 so they lift jacks by butts 25, position 7, FIG. 3a. That causes butts 20 to be positioned above the point of trans fer cam 60 so when raised thereby, they will elevate their slider butts above the point of cam 75, the transfer cam. Then those sliders raise their needles into the top cylinder 19 whereupon they are released from the lower and will knit with needles at the top in a manner well known to those conversant with double cylinder type machines. The sliders 13 then return to inactive or welt positions as governed by cams 77 and 78.

While these different possibilities have been described separately and somewhat disconnectedly for purposes of simplifying the disclosure, it is to be understood that all these functions may be governed to occur in any sequence, frequently or at widely spaced intervals, there being no practical limitation except ingenuity in setting up the pattern which may be of considerable length so that it does not repeat in the same garment. In fact, considering four needles approaching a knitting station, one may have no selection applied to it in which event it will welt, a next may knit, the next tuck and the fourth be transferred to the top cylinder. Since the machine is preferably a multifeed one, these functions may vary from course to course and the same needles when again affected by selection at the original station considered, may be affected in a manner in no wise dependent on what happened at their first or previous engagement.

Now referring to FIGS. 3 and 6, those jacks which acted in transferring their needles to the upper cylinder end up at an elevation above cam 66 and cannot be affected by it. They engage cam 80 and are lowered to make clearance for their sliders which are drawn down by cams 77 and 78. They are then immediately raised by cam point or extension 81 to a level as shown at the right end of FIG. 6. They then are raised by cam 58 and in turn raise their sliders to pass over cam 74 or to a pathway R which is a needle receiving pathway. Thus it can be seen that any needle raised to a transfer height and then elevated to the upper cylinder will, when transferred back to the lower, always have its lower slider in receiving position. This is no longer dependent upon selecting means and the pattern, card or whatever it may he, need not provide for that function. As in the past it has been fairly common to have a card in error so that a needle has been left floating between cylinders, this is both a safety measure and also one which simplifies pattern preparation.

While the description has been drawn more specifically to a more complicated pattern device with double selection at each feed, that is, of course, a solution of the more difficult aspects of the problem and one may readily see that the invention applies equally to simpler selecting and knitting mechanisms.

We claim:

1. In an independent needle knitting machine, superimposed, aligned cylinders, needles carried by and movable in said cylinders, sliders in each cylinder and cam means for actuating said sliders to cause their respective needles to knit selectively in one cylinder or the other including transfer from the lower to the upper cylinder, selecting means effective upon sliders in the lower cylinder to cause them to transfer their needles to the upper cylinder and means independent of said selecting means for auto matically effecting a subsequent selection of only said previously selected sliders in the lower cylinder to position them for receiving their needles when next transferred from the upper to the lower cylinder.

2. In an independent needle knitting machine, superimposed, aligned cylinders, needles carried by and movable in said cylinders, sliders in each cylinder and cam means for actuating said sliders to cause their respective needles to knit selectively in one cylinder or the other including transfer from the lower to the upper cylinder, selecting means effective upon sliders in the lower cylinder to cause them to transfer their needles to the upper cylinder and cam means for automatically effecting a subsequent selection of only said previously selected sliders in the lower cylinder to position them for controlling sliders in said lower cylinder to confine them to a pathway in which they are positioned to receive their needles as the same are transferred from the upper to the lower cylinder.

3. In an independent needle knitting machine, superimposed, aligned cylinders, needles carried by and movable in said cylinders, sliders in each cylinder and cam means for actuating said sliders to cause their respective needles to knit selectively in one cylinder or the other including transfer from the lower to the upper cylinder, selecting means effective upon sliders in the lower cylinder to cause them to transfer their needles to the upper cylinder and cam means effective only upon sliders in said lower cylinder which have transferred their needles to the upper to confine them to a pathway such that when their needles are transferred from the upper to the lower cylinder at a succeeding knitting station the said sliders will be in position to receive them.

4. In an independent needle knitting machine, superimposed, aligned cylinders, double hooked needles carried by and movable in slots in said cylinders including a transfer movement from one cylinder to the other and return to the first said cylinder, cam means defining knitting and transfer pathways for sliders individual to needles to cause them to knit at the lower one of said cylinders and to be transferred from that to the upper cylinder, selecting means by which sliders are caused to assume one or the other pathway, and cam means ineffective upon sliders and needles which knit at the lower cylinder but effective upon sliders needles individual to which have been transferred to the upper cylinder to direct them in a pathway in which they are positioned to receive their needles when next they are returned from the upper to the lower cylinder.

5. Mechanism as defined in claim 4 wherein said last 10 mentioned cam means functions so to control its sliders irrespective of any action by said selecting means.

6. Mechanism as defined in claim 4 wherein said last mentioned cam means comprises lowering and raise cams effective for causing sliders needles of which have been transferred to the upper cylinder to be presented in a knitting pathway which is also the pathway for receiving needles transferred from the upper to the lower cylinder.

7. In an independent needle knitting machine, superimposed, aligned cylinders, double hooked needles carried by and movable in slots in said cylinders including a transfer movement from one cylinder to the other and return to the first said cylinder, cam means defining knitting, tucking and transfer pathways for sliders individual to needles to cause them to knit at the lower one of said cylinders, to tuck thereat, and to be transferred to the upper cylinder, selecting means by which sliders are caused to enter a predeterminable one of these pathways, and other cam means efiective upon sliders needles of which have been transferred to the upper cylinder to direct them in a pathway in which they are positioned to receive their needles when next they are returned from the upper to the lower cylinder.

8. Mechanism as defined in claim 7 wherein said last mentioned cam means is eifective upon needles at the next following knitting station.

9. Mechanism as defined in claim 7 wherein said last mentioned cam means functions so to control its sliders irrespective of any action by said selecting means.

Holmes et al. Oct. 7, 1941 Miller July 6, 1948 

